The first species to differentiate from Mallard, once lumped
with Mottled Duck as Anas obscura, and until very recently, Mexican Duck. As with all these species, extensive
hybridisation with introduced Mallard obscures the true picture since some hybrids are undetectable. The core range
is eastern Canada and USA, birds are migratory and winter to the south, rarely to the Gulf of Mexico (which helps
prevent hybridisation with Mottled and Mexican Ducks). Vagrancy is quite common, birds have occured in the UK often,
and may stay for several years. The photos here are a captive female, wintering birds in North Carolina, and a
vagrant in Cornwall paired with a female Mallard.
Click on the photo to return to "waders" or here for
HOMEPAGE
